I’ve seen a lot of "Pride and Prejudice" in my day. I’ve read the book, watched the movies, and persevered through far too many horrible adaptations.
I even took a class on "Pride and Prejudice" during my freshman year, making me an expert (obviously) and totally qualified to give the ~definitive~ review of "Pride and Prejudice" movies.
On a scale from Mr. Collins to Colin Firth, here’s the best, the worst, and the somewhere-in-betweens of Pride and Prejudice spin-offs:
The worst (think Mr. Collins)
The premise of this movie is that a crazed Jane Austen fan named Amanda switches lives with Elizabeth Bennet. This sounds cool, but as soon as she starts messing up the story by kissing Mr. Bingley (I’m sorry, WRONG GUY AMANDA), I lose all patience. She’s supposed to be a huge fan; how could she possibly mess that up? Amanda is just plain annoying. Mr. Bingley is annoying. Okay, everyone is annoying. Don’t watch it.
The in-between (think Mrs. Bennet)
"Bridget Jones’ Diary"
I watched this movie yesterday in the name of “research for the DTH.” It was very disappointing. It’s like the directors put Colin Firth in the movie and then figured that the rest of the movie could be awful and pointless. Because that’s what it was. Bridget Jones—the Lizzie Bennet character—was unlikable and pretty pathetic. Colin Firth was great and all but couldn’t seem to top himself in the 1995 version (more on that later). Speaking of other versions, the fact that Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy twice, with two different women, just doesn’t sit right with me. Don’t be a player, Darcy.
The good (think Jane)
BBC’s "Pride and Prejudice"
Ah, the BBC. Girls everywhere rejoice in this version, which gives us a little less than six hours to bask in the glory that is Mr. Darcy. Who could forget the scene where he decides to go for a little swim in his gross pond? No one. No one could forget that. Colin Firth puts on a performance that no one else (including himself) could beat. If anyone wants to argue with me on that ... don’t, because I can’t handle that kind of negativity in my life.
The best (think Colin Firth)
If Colin Firth is the best Mr. Darcy out there, why am I ranking the 2005 version higher than his? Because, contrary to popular belief, Mr. Darcy is not the only important character in Pride and Prejudice. Shocking, isn’t it? Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet has no equal, and that’s what makes this movie stand out. The “house scene” in this version—when Mr. Darcy arrives back at his house and Lizzie happens to be touring it —is also incredibly, amazingly awkward. Who doesn’t love awkwardness in movies to make them feel better about themselves? My dad and I have this scene on DVR, and watching it on Friday nights is basically our favorite activity. Every once in a while, we watch the other house scene versions too, just to remind ourselves that 2005 really is the best version of them all.
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